Forests Most Likely to Burn Would Be Thinned under Cantwell Proposal That’s Backed by Idaho’s Senators

The US Forest Service would get new rules to help fight wildfires in some of its most at-risk areas under a bipartisan plan introduced Thursday by Northwest senators.

The proposal would try to reduce the catastrophic wildfires that have plagued Western states in recent years by concentrating on federal forests with ponderosa pines, which some studies show are the most likely to be involved in expensive fires. It tries to walk the line between concerns expressed by environmentalists and supplies sought by the timber industry.